Silk moire double gilt bronze frame

A double frame for two portraits, the openings set into shimmering crimson red silk moiré within an ornate gilt bronze surround and a beautiful shell crest at the top. Moiré is silk pressed between engraved rollers until its surface ripples like water, shifting in the light even in a single color, and here the fabric is as much the decoration as the metal.

Double frames were made for pairs: a couple, two sisters, a mother and child. Made for a dressing table, a desk or a piano. Late 19th century.

7.5" x 6.5"

Hand sourced in France, September 2026